dreadpirateroberts Jazz heavily influenced by soul, with some funk and spoken word.

On 'Winter in America' we hear a more sombre musical palatte than the jazzy funk of Scott-Heron's last album, 'Pieces of a Man.' What has also been toned down is his melismatic vocal style (where a single syllable may slide across several notes), which he uses less, to the benefit of the album. He also emotes a little more, which is nice. Brian Jackson's piano takes the fore (usually electric) and between the two, they craft some unforgettable songs and some that don't hold up under repeated listens.

The opener is an excellent indicator of the album's predominant tone, a slow moving, almost hymnal work, 'Peace Go With you Brother.' It's followed by 'Rivers of My Fathers' which is a showcase for some interesting chord combinations from Jackson, though Scott-Heron sounds a little strained toward the end of the track.

Most of the album is backed by a minimal rhythm section and it isn't until 'Back Home' that a bit more of beat surfaces, however, while not unpleasant (with a nice little flute solo) the song doesn't hold a candle to the single that pushed 'Winter in American' to 300,000+ sales in America - 'The Bottle.' Essentially a R&B workout led by piano and some more direct lyrics dealing with the troubles faced by those battling alcohol, it's one of his classics.

The second half of the record is further redeemed by 'H2O Gate Blues' a live-in-the-studio blues/spoken word piece that deals with the Watergate scandal and is comparable to 'The Revolution Will Not be Televised' politically and socially. Musically it's more laid back and less proto-rap, but Gil is on fire and even overdubs himself and other members of the session to fill in for an auidence, where they cackle and holler, giving the album a lift in mood, creating a brilliant track indeed.

If you are loiking for a lot of jazz, this is more soul, even blues, so keep that in mind. If you're a Gil Scott-Heron fan and don't have it already, get it right away. Comparably, a casual listener might be better served by buying a compilation. A good album with some stellar tracks and some that just aren't as memorable. Three and a half stars.

Note, the live version of the song 'Winter in America' available as a bonus track on the reissue, is fantastic, and superior to the studio version released on Gil's release 'First Minute of a New Day.'

Sean Trane Debut album of GSH’s collaboration with pianist and wind player Brian Jackson, Winter In America is certainly a strong statement, but it concentrates much more on the music than the GSH solo albums, and to be honest, it’s rather refreshing, because Gil’s rhetorics were definitely sounding like sour puss by the mid-70’s, even if Harlem In New York wasn’t built in one day. To my knowledge, WIA is one of the few albums of theirs that were recorded on the small and ultra-collectible strata East label, and the album came with an impressive artwork on the front cover, and another even more impressive collage on the inside. Although the flute goes un-credited, I believe it was played by Brian Jackson. The A-side is composed in a duet, but its flipside is almost GSH-only, if you’ll except the short closer.

This is probably one of the best examples of soul-jazz that I could give out to anyone that’s looking to investigate the “genre”. At times, WIA might sound quite slow compared to some of the GSH solo album: Very Precious Time in almost insufferably long and slow, and its not the only one either. Actually I’m not big on this album because it’s way to mellow and a little deceptive in regards to its inflammatory title. Only the H2Ogates Blues (read Watergate) that’s recorded live brings a little spice in a relatively bland album. Still worth a listen , though.